The University Match (cricket)

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The University Match in a cricketing context is generally understood to refer to the annual fixture between Oxford University Cricket Club and Cambridge University Cricket Club. Since 2001, in most of their fixtures Oxford have appeared as the Oxford University Centre of Cricketing Excellence (Oxford UCCE, incorporating Oxford Brookes University), and Cambridge have appeared as the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence (Cambridge UCCE, incorporating Anglia Ruskin University), but this does not apply to the University Match(es).

Contents

[edit] History

See also: History of English amateur cricket#University cricket from 1827 to 1863

The match was first played in 1827. It was traditionally an annual three day first-class fixture, normally held at Lord's.[1] From the 1830's until 1939, it was among the most important fixtures of the season, attracting large crowds and widespread press coverage. It was still a major social, as well as sporting, event as recently as just after World War Two. According to The Cricketer (1954), the 1954 match attracted over 13,000 paying spectators as well as MCC members.

In terms of the clubs concerned, the University Match dating from 1827 is the oldest first-class fixture still being played. However, it should be noted that fixtures involving certain county teams prior to formation of the current county clubs do have a much longer history. The oldest known county fixture is Kent v Surrey, which dates back to 1709 at least. The oldest county club is Sussex CCC, founded in 1839.

The next two University matches were in 1829 and 1836. From 1838 it has been played annually, except for the war years of 1915-1918 and 1940-45. The first match was played at Lord's, but it was only in 1851 that Lord's became the permanent venue, five of the early matches having been played in the vicinity of Oxford.

Two of the most famous matches occurred in consecutive years in the 1870s. The first was 'Cobden's Match' in 1870. F. C. Cobden took the last three Oxford wickets in consecutive balls to give Cambridge victory by 2 runs. The following year S. E. Butler took 10-38 in the Cambridge first innings (the only instance of a bowler taking all ten), followed by 5 more wickets in the second innings. Another notable match was in 1923, which became known as the "Thunderstorm match". Oxford had run up a good score, and a torrential storm for much of the night rendered the pitch almost unplayable, so that Cambridge were quickly dismissed in two innings.

William Yardley of Cambridge has the distinction of scoring the first two hundreds made in the series: 100 in 1870 in Cobden's Match and 130 in 1872.

Robin Marlar's bowling figures for Cambridge are worth noting:

  • 1951: 5-41 and 1-64
  • 1952: 7-104 and 2-25
  • 1953: 5-94 and 7-49

Players who became (or in a few instances were already) famous to have appeared in the match include: Alfred Lyttelton (Cantab. 1876-9), Stanley Jackson (Cantab. 1890-3), C. B. Fry (Ox. 1892-5), K. S. Ranjitsinhji (Ox. 1893), Pelham Warner (Ox. 1895-6), Gilbert Jessop (Cantab. 1896-9), R. E. Foster (Ox. 1897-1900), Bernard Bosanquet (Ox. 1898-1900), Percy Chapman (Cantab. 1920-2), Douglas Jardine (Ox. 1920-1, 1923), Gubby Allen (Cantab. 1922-3), K. S. Duleepsinhji (Cantab. 1925-8), Nawab of Pataudi snr (Ox. 1929-31), Ken Farnes (Cantab. 1931-3), Martin Donnelly (Ox. 1946-7), Abdul Kardar (Ox. 1947-9), Peter May (Cantab. 1950-2), David Sheppard (Cantab. 1950-2), Colin Cowdrey (Ox. 1952-4), M. J. K. Smith (Ox. 1954-6), Ted Dexter (Cantab. 1956-8), Nawab of Pataudi jnr (Ox. 1960-1, 1963), Mike Brearley (Cantab. 1961-4), Majid Khan (Cantab. 1971-3), Imran Khan (Ox. 1973-5) and Mike Atherton (Cantab. 1987, 1989). It can be seen that the majority were batsmen rather than bowlers and that the 1890s and 1950s to early 1960s were particularly fertile periods.

From 2001 the match has been replaced by two fixtures each year: a one-day match played at Lord's and a four day first-class fixture played in alternate years at Fenner's in Cambridge and The Parks in Oxford. Blues are awarded to those appearing in either match. Unless otherwise stated, statistics quoted in this article are for the first-class fixtures only.

[edit] Records

[edit] Results

Up to and including 2007, 163 matches have been played. Cambridge have won 56, Oxford have won 53, 53 have been drawn and one match (in 1988) was abandoned. The results of all the matches may be found in List of University Matches.

[edit] Highest and lowest scores by each side

  • 604 Cambridge University v Oxford University, The Parks, 2002
  • 610-5d Oxford University v Cambridge University, Fenner's, 2005
  • 39 Cambridge University v Oxford University, Lord's, 1858
  • 32 Oxford University v Cambridge University, Lord's, 1878

[edit] Individual double centuries

[edit] Best innings bowling

  • 10-38 SE Butler, Oxford, Lord's, 1871
  • 9-? GB Lee, Oxford, Lord's, 1839
  • 8-44 GE Jeffery, Cambridge, Lord's, 1873
  • 8-52 GJ Toogood, Oxford, Lord's, 1985
  • 8-62 AG Steel, Cambridge, Lord's, 1878
  • 8-66 RHB Bettington, Oxford, Lord's, 1923
  • 8-68 EM Kenney, Oxford, Lord's, 1868
  • 8-99 PR le Couteur, Oxford, Lord's, 1911
  • 8-161 JC Hartley, Oxford, Lord's, 1896
  • 8-? GE Yonge, Oxford, Lord's, 1845

[edit] Best match bowling

  • 15-95 SE Butler, Oxford, Lord's, 1871
  • 13-73 AG Steel, Cambridge, Lord's, 1878

[edit] Hat-tricks

  • FC Cobden, Cambridge, Lord's, 1870
  • AG Steel, Cambridge, Lord's, 1879
  • PH Morton, Cambridge, Lord's, 1880
  • JF Ireland, Cambridge, Lord's, 1911
  • RGH Lowe, Cambridge, Lord's, 1926

[edit] Match double (100 runs & 10 wickets)

  • PR le Couteur, Oxford, Lord's, 1910: 160 and 11-66
  • GJ Toogood, Oxford, Lord's, 1985: 149 and 10-93

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Until 1854, with the exceptions of 1841 and 1850, it was played over two days instead of three.
  2. ^ Oberoi and D.R. Fox put on 408 for the third wicket, the highest partnership in the fixture. Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 2006 edition, p290 & p925.

[edit] References

[edit] External links